Fake agency DG fraudulently opened CBN account - Presidency

The Nigerian Presidency has accused Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew of fraudulently opening a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account. Matthew allegedly posed as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The Presidency stated that police investigations uncovered that Adeyemi used forged government documents to mislead the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation into facilitating the account's opening. No government funds were transferred into this account, according to the statement.

Further investigations revealed that Adeyemi operated 34 bank accounts. Nine of these were allegedly opened under the names of fictitious agencies, including the FCTA Investment Promotion Agency and the Public Private Partnership (FIPA-APP). The Presidency detailed that Adeyemi forged his appointment letter, falsely presented himself as a government appointee, and attempted to obtain a "note verbal" from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was intended to help him and his team secure United States visas.

The alleged fake agency's existence came to light after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President received complaints from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council. Officials noted that another agency seemed to be operating in conflict with their own. This prompted the Chief of Staff to petition the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force in October 2025 to investigate individuals forging appointment letters from his office.

Police arrested Adeyemi in Abuja on October 27, 2025, recovering numerous documents and exhibits from his office and residence. During interrogation, Adeyemi claimed one Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola assisted him with the fake appointment letter. However, investigators later determined that Tanimola had died in a fire incident five days before Adeyemi's arrest. The police concluded that Adeyemi's claimed agency never existed and that the recovered documents were indeed forged. The suspect faces criminal forgery, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretense charges, which have brought disrepute to the Presidency. An eight-count charge has been filed against Adeyemi and two alleged accomplices.

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The act of the suspect constitutes criminal forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, thereby bringing the office of the Chief of Staff to the President and the Presidency to disrepute before the public and international community.